Photo Friday: Turn Them Over

If you’re a genealogist and work with old photographs, you know the critical rule of turning the photograph over to see what is on the back. When you’re photographing memorabilia, the same rule holds true. Turn them over.

When reopening a box of memorabilia stored in my own treasure box, I found this medal. To think, I saved this medal all these years and I don’t really know why I was awarded it. I have no memory of it. I knew the band awards well, but this one doesn’t look like a music award. However, I wanted to showcase that I was more than just a musician in school.

Thankfully, I turned the medal over and suddenly I remembered it. I was part of an academic competition that studied the current events of the day and then took a test on it. I didn’t win the competition but I did enjoy the experience and receive a medal for participating. Turn the award over!

The same principle applies to medals, plaques, trophies. Turn them over and see what is on the side. If you were to take a picture of my college ring, you’d find my name inside it. If you turn over a pocket watch, you might find the name of the first owner etched in it. If you turn over the medals of a WWII Vet, you just might find the name of the award and perhaps the date it was awarded.

Along the lines of World War II memorabilia, I have a wonderful picture to include in my heritage scrapbook about my grandfather.

Imagine my surprise, when I flipped the bracelet over to see if anything was on the inside and I found this.

My grandmother had had her name etched in a bracelet for her young husband as he shipped off to serve in World War II. The bracelet would serve as a reminder of her love while he was far from his young bride. To see the name so well preserved while the other side is scratched and aged from many years of use brings a tear to my eye every time I see this picture.

Remember to take the picture of your artifacts. And then turn them over and see what you may be missing.